Final answer:
A scheduling system should prioritize tasks to keep the bottleneck running efficiently and complete late jobs. It must account for various factors like lead times, and include buffers for delays, while not compromising quality. Strategic planning and continuous monitoring are crucial for such a system's efficacy.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine if a scheduling system works, particularly in the context of keeping a bottleneck running and completing late jobs, one must analyze several factors. A scheduling system that is effective should prioritize tasks to ensure that the bottleneck resources are always active. This can often be achieved through techniques like Theory of Constraints, which focuses on systematically managing constraints or bottlenecks that impede processes.
Additionally, for a scheduling system to work efficiently, it must take into account lead times, queue times, variability in job timings, and resource allocation. The objective is to minimize idle time for the bottleneck operation since it has the highest impact on throughput. The system should include buffers or safety times to account for unexpected delays, adjust schedules dynamically to respond to changes, and utilize predictive methods to anticipate bottlenecks before they occur.
It's also important to consider that while keeping the bottleneck running is crucial, it should not be at the expense of quality or by overloading downstream processes. Strategic planning and continuous monitoring are essential to ensure that all jobs, including late ones, are addressed while maintaining optimal flow throughout the system.